GREENEVILLE – As Tusculum University and the community prepare for the premiere of “The College Tour” episode featuring the higher education institution and the region, local organizations are supporting the festivities as sponsors.
Edward Roberts, left and Dr. Scott Hummel stand in front of The Capitol Theatre in downtown Greeneville.
Tusculum is holding an orange carpet event at The Capitol Theatre in downtown Greeneville from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, for the episode’s inaugural showing. The event is drawing considerable interest, with the following serving as sponsors as of Wednesday, Jan. 31:
- Artazn
- General Morgan Inn
- Greene County
- Greene County Partnership
- Greeneville Graze
- Jaynes Flooring
- Town of Greeneville
- The Capitol Theatre
“Tusculum values its connections with the community and is grateful these organizations are adding to the value of this sensational event with their sponsorships,” said Edward Roberts, the university’s vice president of institutional advancement. “This event recognizes not only the outstanding education our students receive but also the tremendous opportunity to live in a spectacular region of the country and to experience the many exciting developments happening in the community.”
Roberts anticipates additional sponsorships prior to the premiere. Anyone who is interested in serving as a sponsor can contact him at eroberts@tusculum.edu or 423-636-7303.
“The College Tour” came to campus and the community in October to film the episode and has since teamed with a cross-section of Tusculum representatives on the editing process. The episode will show publicly for the first time at The Capitol Theatre event and will drop on Amazon Prime in May.
Students David Bowlin, Stephen Brewer, Isabelle Delbridge, Kobe Funderburk, Josie Norton, Grayson Patterson, Xavier Velazquez, Maggie Vickers and Todd Wallin as well as 2012 graduate Dionté Grey share their Tusculum and community stories in the episode. Patterson has graduated from Tusculum since she filmed her segment.
The Office of Institutional Advancement has planned multiple fun activities associated with the premiere. Guests are encouraged to arrive prior to 5:30 p.m. so they can walk the orange carpet as they enter The Capitol Theatre, have their photograph taken and meet with Tusculum’s admission team. Orange carpet walks are available starting at 4:45 p.m. Tusculum asks guests to dress up and wear black and orange, the university’s colors. Formal attire is not required.
The event is open to all Tusculum family members and the community.
David Bowlin, center of the group sitting on the wall, films part of his segment.
Other activities include a performance by the Tusculum Band, a chance to meet students and alumni who participated in the episode and a brief question-and-answer session with them. The cheer team and Zeke, Tusculum’s mascot, will also be present. Dr. Hummel will speak, and Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison, Greeneville Mayor Cal Doty and City of Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley will present proclamations that will emphasize the university’s impact.
“We are thrilled to hold the premiere in downtown Greeneville and look forward to spending the evening with our friends in the community,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, the university’s president. “I have watched the nearly finished version of the episode and am extremely pleased with the quality of its production and its representation of our mission. We have a great story to tell, and it is showcased nicely in this episode.”
Dr. Jacob Fait, Tusculum’s vice president of enrollment management and financial aid, plans to use the episode robustly in the Office of Admission’s student recruitment. The episode will be incorporated in Tusculum’s website and social media outlets and in messages sent to potential new students.
“We thoroughly enjoyed putting this episode together and know viewers will be impressed with our students and alumni and the heartfelt stories they shared,” Dr. Fait said. “We are focused on preparing our students to be career-ready professionals, and this episode shows in an exceptional way the caliber of our Pioneers and one-on-one support they receive from their professors and the Tusculum staff. We thank ‘The College Tour’ for providing this forum so prospective students can see why Tusculum and East Tennessee are the right fit for them.”
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu. To apply, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/apply-visit/apply/.